SURE-HANDED RECEIVER JOE SCHEID LOST HIS LEFT ARM IN AN ACCIDENT--BUT NOT HIS DESIRE TO COMPETE

"What makes you different from everyone else?" was the questionput before the junior communications class at Dondero High inRoyal Oak, Mich., one morning in October. Students had to citetheir distinguishing characteristics, ranging from hair color tofamily heritage. The only one to take the Fifth was Joe Scheid,a starting wide receiver on the varsity football team.

The oddness of being a wide receiver with only one full armseems to escape Joe. Nor does he understand why others think himso courageous for even attempting to play football. "I don't seewhy it's a big deal," the 16-year-old athlete says, baffled thatresidents of suburban Detroit find his story compelling.

"Parents with no connection to Dondero High bring their kids toour games just so they can watch Joe," says coach Mike McElroy,whose 1997 team finished 3-6.

"The accident" occurred 10 years ago. Joe was snow-sledding on asmall hill at a relative's farm. He lost control and slid intothe rotating blades of a snowblower. Thirty-five hours ofsurgery repaired injuries to his neck, shoulder blade and rightarm, but his left arm, severed just above the elbow, couldn't besaved. "I used to be kind of quiet, but after the accident Ibecame a more aggressive person," says Joe. "I didn't wantanything to get in my way."

Four months after leaving the intensive-care unit, Joe joinedthe local youth soccer league and put his new attitude ondisplay. While Joe was throwing an inbounds pass in one game, adefender inquired about the arm. "My dad chopped it off with achain saw," Joe said.

"There's no such thing as can't in our household," says Joe'sfather, Don, a shipping manager for an automobile toolmanufacturing company. "Joe might have to do somethingdifferently from someone else, but he'll find a way to do it."

His desire to play varsity football was inevitable. After all,the Scheid family is to Royal Oak football what changing leavesare every autumn to the trees that surround Dondero High Field.Mary Lou and her daughter Erica, 14, clean the team jerseys. Donassists the team trainers on the sidelines during games. Joe'solder brother, Jeff, 19, a sophomore at Oakland (Mich.)Community College, earned Dondero honors as a wingback in 1995,and little brother, Andy, 11, is a water boy.

Joe, who is Dondero's smallest player, at 5'6" and 130 pounds,quickly earned his teammates' approval. "In our first scrimmageI threw him a nine-yard curl, and after catching it, he broke atackle and went 25 yards for a touchdown," says seniorquarterback Nate Dixon, who connected with Joe twice this seasonfor 20 yards. "After that we knew he could do it. He didn'tcatch more passes this year only because of his size. He'd beopen a lot, but I couldn't find him behind all the biggerdefenders."

The coaches were so won over by Joe's feistiness as a blockerthat whenever he was flagged for holding, they would holler,"Hey, ref, which hand was it?" They also loved his unassumingmanner. After misplaying a ball either as a receiver or in hisother role, as a backup cornerback, Joe would approach McElroyand say earnestly, "Sorry, I could only get one hand on it."

About the only person unimpressed by Joe is Joe himself. "Peoplealways tell me that I'm an inspiration," he says. "I just thinkof myself as someone chasing his dreams to play football. That'sall."

COLOR PHOTO: DUANE BURLESON Scheid's sense of humor helps: He explains a dropped pass by saying he could get only one hand on it. [Joe Scheid and opposing players in game]